Just Seven Things

Exploring why and how we do what we do, and how we can do it better

Archive for the category “Creativity”

05 Jul 2008
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The Objective of Reading

A classic 24hrs of my RAS in full effect in relation to reading and knowledge management (see the Encyclopedia Brittanica explanation of the reticular activating system or Karen Lynch’s post for views on how it’s tied to vision and goal-setting)

But rather than a full alignment of views, I’m feeling nicely conflicted. As always, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s challenging book, Fooled by Randomness, which I am reading, seemed to reach out and slap me this morning. A couple of comments initially made me question my aims for excellence in knowledge management yesterday. Particularly my assertion that ‘I need to be able to access the greatest pool of knowledge, thinking and contacts possible’.

Taleb writes ‘I was at the age when one felt like one needed to read everything’ and just prior to this, ‘I do not know if it applies to other people, but, in spite of my being a voracious reader, I have rarely been truly affected in my behaviour (in any durable manner) by anything I have read. A book can make a strong impression, but such an impression tends to wane after some newer impression replaces it in my brain (a new book)’

First point is that, again, the feeling of immaturity/ inadequacy is good because it drives me forward. I still feel like I need to read everything. Yes, in relation to accessing the best knowledge for my objectives, but I have yet to shake a sense of panic that I’ll miss something important. Something that will materially impact me… 

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Posted in Creativity, Knowledge Management, Learning, Time Management and tagged , ,
02 Jul 2008
1 Comment

Ideas and Learning Projects

I keep on referring to the Ideas and Learning Projects that we run at Madgex. I then tend to link off to the Achievement in Mind blog where I posted some details. Here is the content:

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Posted in Business, Creativity, Knowledge Management, Learning
12 Jun 2008
1 Comment

The Creativity and Focus of Talking

For a long time now I have wondered at how powerful it would be to be able to tap in to the creativity of a 121 conversation whilst on your own.

I’m talking about how focused you are on the topic under discussion. How everything else has to fade away from your brain for you to be able to formulate the words required to talk and have a conversation with the person you are in discussion with.

I’m not even sure it’s the same when you are in a group or a brainstorming. In these scenarios maybe you have the downtime to have the kind of internal conversations you may have on your own. Of course the 121 conversations will mean that the prompts from the person you are talking to – their thoughts and assertions – are going to trigger your creativity. But is there something more happening?

Maybe it’s just me and the way in which I work? However, some of the best thoughts that I have fall out at the end of conversations, or statements that I’m making (I’m admitting to a tendency to wax over-lyrically. A development point I am working on)

It’s as though in my brain working hard to a. construct a thought and b. formulate the words and sentence to clearly communicate, it enters a place of greater creativity. When in this place things seem to both occur and resolve at the same time.

Maybe this is why people start talking to themselves?

Posted in Communication, Creativity and tagged ,

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